Missional-Life

It is a great pleasure to be able to introduce my next Converse Interviewee. Keith Hazell has been in the prophetic ministry for more than forty years and ministers extensively around the globe. However, he has increasingly been serving the growing family of Newfrontiers churches in the East of England, Europe and Canada.  On a personal note, Keith has been a great encouragement to me over the past couple of years as we have looked to see Christ Community Church well established.

Adam Bradley: Please can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Keith Hazell: I live Lethbridge, Alberta Canada. My origins are in Essex in the UK and my wife Nova and I came to Canada more than 41 Years ago as immigrants, We have lived in Calgary Vancouver and Lethbridge during our time here in Canada.

I have a grown family of three children. 8 grandchildren and two great grandchildren all of whom live within easy reach of us, here in Western Canada.

I am an a prophet to the nations and have worked with some New Frontiers churches in East Anglia for more than 20 years. I travel these days very closely with Mike Betts team into Eastern England, Northern Europe, and of course here in Canada.

I have had the privilege of founding and apostolic family called Life Links, which has churches in Canada, USA, Africa, Asia, and Europe. This group are led by a team since I laid down my role 4 years ago, and have more than 60 churches around the world

In the early 70s we saw a revival in Calgary Alberta and were elders in a church where more than 2000 were saved and 1000 baptized in one year. This profoundly affected my vision  for Youth and the Nations. A heart for revival has never been far from us through the years

Adam Bradley: Please can you tell me some of the highlights of your testimony?

Keith Hazell: I am a convert of the Billy Graham ministry, haven given my life to Christ during Billys first UK crusade at Harringay.

Came from a strong left wing political family and did not attend church until after my salvation at all. Nova was my first convert, and I have been following her up ever since!!

After I got saved I lost my interest in extreme left wing politics, and have always felt the call of the Kingdom to be my biggest priority

I was challenged by WEC in my early Christian life with the words of CT Studd “ If Jesus Christ is God and died for me there is no sacrifice too great for me to make for him” this compelled my devotion and also influenced me to have a heart for the nations

Nova and I were discipled by a Salvation Army Ensign in our little Essex village, we attended Congregational, Evangelical (peculiar Peoples Church) and Baptist   and Plymouth Bretheren churches in our pursuit of New Testament Christianity

I began preaching at 17 years of age and preached against the Gifts of the Spirit till in my late 20s . God sovereignly baptized me in the Spirit in a meeting where he was not supposed to be able to come!! I began then to prophesy and have continued ever since

God has taken me to many lands and situations, Europe, Asia ,South and Central America, United States and Canada of course . I have run with the leaders of the underground church in China from the police to hide in the bushes. I have also been detained by the same police for questioning about my reasons for being in China and preaching

Adam Bradley: What church do you lead/involved in? (background, movement/denomination, philosophy of ministry, etc)

Keith Hazell: I am currently part of a New Frontiers Church plant here in Lethbridge Alberta. The church is called Mosaic Christian Fellowship and is growing under the oversight of Mike Betts team.

The church is led by my son Jeremy and we have actually four generations of the family actively involved .

This is currently a house church and at a recent Conference with Mike we could count more than 40 people who are directly associated with the church. This is an excited church of mainly young adults. They are all very talented. We have an author, an artist, two filmmakers, a dancer, some incredible photographers and also musicians in the group.

We are currently believing God to get into a building to operate out into the community with outreach programs custom designed for those we are trying to draw in.

Many of our congregation are new believers and we have children of leaders from other churches and some leaders kids who have found their way back to God at Mosaic.

We are a strong missionary church with 70% our group having overseas missionary experience.

We are looking forward to others joining us from UK and around the world as we work Together on a Mission

Adam Bradley: What books are your currently reading?

Keith Hazell:

You see bones… I see an army by Floyd McClung

Starting a House church by Larry Kreider

Adam Bradley: What’s sermons/preachers are you listening to at the moment (the i-pod question)?

Keith Hazell:

Terry Virgo and Mike Betts, don’t have much time to find others but enjoy Dave Holden and some of my own friends unknown to your audience

Adam Bradley: Why is church planting such a passion for you?

Keith Hazell:

• Because it is the most direct commandment we have to the corporate church from Jesus.
• Because the church is the only thing Jesus said was worth building
• Because Ephesians teaches us that God will only do what He is going to do through the church. Therefore it makes sense to plant as many churches as possible

Adam Bradley: What would you say are the three most important principles for any young want-to-be church planter?

Keith Hazell:

• Passion for Jesus
• Passion for Prayer
• Passion for People

Adam Bradley: Here’s your opportunity to say anything else you like..

Keith Hazell: I believe that  we are living in the most exciting time for the church. I wish I could make it for another thirty years to see what He will do.

As well as the most exciting time it is also the most disturbing, if you are a traditionalist. God is breaking out of past patterns and putting His hand on individuals and churches who are not afraid to take a risk.

It is a time when some of these people will lose reputation in the eyes of their peers and gain great credibility in the eyes of God. It is an easy choice if you know the beginning from the end but not quite as easy if you don’t!!

God is in favour of the Church, but not just church the way we have it!! The New Testament pattern owed a lot to the Word but was totally innovative by the Spirit of God to take its members into brand new fields where they would not have gone on their own.

Today, God wooing the church out of its comfort and attitude of convenience into uncomfortable places like Peter when he found himself at the door of Cornelius. He didn’t even know what he was doing there!! Jesus Himself amazed his followers by  bringing a Samaritan women to face her sin and sent her as an evangelist to her own people… much to everyone’s dismay!

There is no such word as Revival in the Scripture, but we are on the edge of one of those periodic times of the Manifestation of His presence that will lead many of our timorous church members to become flaming fires for Him…bring it on Lord!

Adam Bradley: Keith a huge thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Looking forward to seeing you later in the year!